Driving box lubricator



J. J. HNNESSY- DiIVING BOX LUBRICATOR Aug. 1l, 1931'.

Filed April "T, 1927 Patented Aug. 11, 1931 UNITED STATES JAMES J' i HENNESSY,

or nnw YORK, n. Y.

DRIVING BOX LUBRICATOR Application filed April 7,

My invention relates to lubricators for railway rolling stock and consists in the provision of a device for feeding lubricant by gravity from an elevated reservoir through suitable conduits to one or more journals, the provision of suitable control means in the conduits and suitable distributing means in connection with the discharge end of the conduit.

rlhe general object of my invention is to provide in a device of the class described lubricating means which will not flood the journal box or cellar but will maintain the packing usually provided tor such journals in proper lubricating condition.

Another object of my invention is to provide a lubricating reservoir and conduit which may be easily assembled with or detached from the journal box or cellar.l

Other detail objects of my invention will be apparent from the drawings and my specification and claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section through a locomotive driving box cellar equipped with a waste receiving sub-cellar fitted with my invention and showing the journal to which the lubricato-r is applied.

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a transverse vertical section taken substantially on line 3 3 of Figure 1.

`The cellar is indicated at 1 and encloses the sub-cellar 2 which is yieldingly supported in 435 the cellar by means of a plate 3 and a spring 4; this support corresponds to the sub-cellar support shown in my copending application Serial No. 55,603 iled September 10, 1925.

The sub-cellar forms a receptacle for cotton waste W or other packing through which lubricant is distributed to the journal to be lubricated and, in addition, includes a chamber 5 elevated above the bottom of the subcellar and provided with a plurality of perforations 6 through which lubricant contained in the chamber may pass to the packing. Preferably this chamber is cylindrical in Jform and extends throughout the length of the sub-cellar and is closed at its inner end 7 but open at its outer end 8. Lubricant is sup- 1927. Serial N0. 181,682.

plied to two or more cellars from a common reservoir 10 which may be supported at an convenient point on the frame of the truck or superstructure and connected to the cellar through a lexiblehose 11' and a conduit ter- 55 minal member consisting of a tube`12 adapted to be inserted into the sub-cellar chamber 5 and having an open end 13 for permitting the passage of lubricant to chamber 5. The op- -posite end is closed by a plug 14C.

Near the latter end of the tube there is an upstanding hollow boss 15 provided with a valve seat 16 and a valve of ball form 17 rests upon said seat and may close the passage from the hose 11 to the main body of the tube. An 65 adjustable element 18 serves to control the movement of ball 17. y

Ball 17 is lifted from its seatlby the operation of a lever 19 pivoted to the tube 12 at 20 'and adapted to engage the ball 17 by `70 means of its upturned end 21.` The opposite end of lever 19 carries afloat 22 and it will be obvious'that when the level of the lubricant in tube 12 is high'enough to elevate the iioat tlie'lever 19 will permit ball 17 to 75 sea-t and close'thepassage so that no further lubricant distributed to the packing. As soon as enough lubricant is drawn out of the tube and chamber to lower the fluid level in the latter, float 22 will drop and 80 `ball 17'will be raised topermit thefurther flow of lubricant to the chamber.

The exterior wall of tube 12 is provided with a lug 23 and the corresponding portion of the cellar is provided with spaced lugs 24. 85 These lugs are perforated and. adapt the tube to be held inrproper position in the chamber by means of a cotter pin 25.

The sub-cellar 2 is retained in the cellar by the plunger 27 slidably mounted in a lug 90 26 on the outer wall of the cellar 1 and spring-supported in the position shown vin which it engages the outer wall of the subcellar. The plunger is provided with a handle 28 by which it may be retracted to 95 permit the removal' of the sub-cellar when desired. n

It will be seen that either the sub-cellar or the conduit, or both, may be slid longitudinally into or out of the cellar and without "1" lowering the cellar or otherwise interfering with the assembly of the cellar or journal box, and driving box or pedestal.

At one side of the chamber 5 I prefer to provide two upstanding walls 29 spaced a slight distance apart and forming a deep groove communicating with the interior of chamber 5. In this groove I provide a slab '30 of felt, laminated wood, or compressed wool which is yieldingly supported against the journal by the flat spring 31. This member 8O serves as a wiper to prevent the journal carrying too much lubricant above the level of the box and then wasting it by centrifugal discharge. The member 80 may also serve as a wick to feed lubricant to the journal in the event that the journal is not being properly lubricated by the waste in the sub-cellar.

Preferably the ribs 29 which position the member 30 are high enough to barely engage the journal. After a short use they wear to a fit on the journal.

Many of the details of the cellar and subcellar and conduit construction may be modied without departing from the spirit ofV my invention, and I contemplate the exclusive use of such variations in construction as are included in the scope of my claims.

I claim l. In a railway journal lubricator, a cellar, a subcellar elevated above the bottom of said cellar and'adapted to receive waste and provided with a chamber through which lubricant is supplied to the waste independently of the Cellar and from which said waste 'is excluded, and means positioned in said chamber for automatically controlling the flow 'of lubricant through said chamber.

2. In a railway journal lubricator, a cellar, a. sublcellar elevated above the bottomof said cellar and adapted to receive waste and provided with a chamber from which waste is excluded, a conduit inserted in said chamber and removable therefrom through which lubricant is supplied to said chamber, a f ioat in said conduit, and means in said conluit operable by said float for controlling the flow of lubricant through said conduit to said chamber.

3. In combination, a railway journal box cellar, a packing receptacle therein, a lubricant reservoir above the level Yof said receptacle, a conduit for feeding lubricant by gravity from said reservoir to said receptacle, a portion of said conduit projecting into the body of said receptacle, and means positioned in the projecting portion of said conduit for controlling the supply of lubricant, said conduit being applicable to and detachable from said receptacle without disturbing the packing therein.

4. .In a journal lubricator, a cellar, a receptacle elevated above the bottom of said cellar for holding waste against the journal, Y

there being an elongated chamber in said receptacle provided with perforations to permit the passage of lubricant therethrough one end of said chamber being open, and a conduit member slidably iitting in said chamber and closing the open end of the latter and adapted to be supplied by gravity iiow of lubricant from an exterior reservoir, a valve for controlling the flow of lubricant through said conduit, and a ioat in said kmember for actuating said valve according to the level of lubricant in said member.

5. In a journal lubricator, a sub-cellar having a horizontal cylindrical passage, a hollow cylindrical member movable into and out of said cellar, a lubricant valve in said member, a float control device for said valve located in said member, and means for preventing movement of said member in said chamber.

6. In a journal lubricator, a cellar, a subcellar elevated above the bottom of said cellar and movable horizontally into and out of said cellar, and a vertically movable plunger mounted on said cellar below said sub-cellar for engaging said sub-cellar to prevent the above-described. movement of the latter.

7. In a journal lubricator, a cellar, a subcellar elevated above the bottom of said cellar and movable horizontally into and out of said lcellar movable into and out of said cellar, a

supply conduit terminal member horizontally movable into and o ut of said-sub-cellar, and individual means on said sub-cellar and cellar for preventing movement of said member and sub-cellar out of said sub-cellar and cellar, respectively.

9. In a journal lubricator, a sub-cellar adapted to contain packing for distributing lubricant to the journal to be lubricated, upstanding walls in said sub-cellar spaced from the center of said sub-cellar and spaced from each other a short distance and extending lengthwise of said journal, and a fibrous member positioned between said walls and engaging said journal to distribute lubricant to the latter and to prevent discharge of surplus lubricant by the rotation of the journal.

10. In a journal lubricator, a sub-cellar adapted to contain paclrin for distributing lubricant to the journal to e lubricated, upstanding walls in said sub-cellar spaced from the center of said sub-cellar and spaced from each other a short distance and extending lengthwise of said journal, a downwardly compressible spring between said walls, and a. fibrous element positioned between said walls and yieldingly supported by said spring to engage the face of said journal.

1l. In a journal lubricator, a sub-cellar adapted to contain packing for distributing lubricant to the journal to be lubricated, a chamber Within said sub-cellar adapted to exclude packing and to receive a supply of lubricant, spaced Walls to one side of said chamber, and a fibrous pad positioned between said Walls and adapted to engage the journal to be lubricated, there being passageways from said chamber through said Walls to said pad.

l2. A railway journal lubricating device comprising an elevated reservoir and a plur ality of conduits leading therefrom to a plurality of spaced journal boxes and being individually separable from their respective boxes, and an individual mechanically operated valve positioned in each of said conduits for controlling the flow of lubricant from said reservoir to the lubricant-distribut ing portion of the respective box, said valves functioning according to the lubricant level in their respective boxes and independently of the functioning of the valves in the other box or boxes.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afx my signature this 14th day of March, 1927.

JAS. J. HENNESSY. 

